Between Love And Death
by Benthrew
Summary: Reid is determined to stay focused and find the kidnapper before he breaks down and opening a chance for the trigger to be pulled.
1. Prologue

**Note****: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters but instead, I own the plot.**

**Prologue**

The office was busy as any other usual day; with the BAU agents gathering at the center of the room and just talking. The only BAU team member that was sitting at his desk was the insecure Dr. Spencer Reid, who threw his mobile phone back on his desk in frustration. He sighed before grabbing his mobile phone and tried to make the call again. Engrossed with the call, he did not notice Derek Morgan looking at him and approaching him.

"Reid, are you alright? You looked real pissed," Morgan said as he leant against the desk divider.

"Worried, actually," Reid muttered in response as he tried making that call once again. He dialed the number again when the line got cut off a few minutes later. "I'm just trying to call someone but there's no answer."

Morgan chuckled and grabbed Reid's mobile phone which he then held it far away from Reid's reach. Reid tried to snatch it back but gave up when he realized that it was impossible. "Take it easy, smart boy. Maybe the person you're calling is unavailable now so give that up and come join the conversation."

Reid paused for some time before standing up. Morgan passed Reid his mobile phone before walking towards the other BAU members. He stared blankly before walking there himself but was forced to walk the other way round when the loud voice of Aaron Hotchner could be heard, instructing for a meeting in a conference room. The other agents followed subsequently with a heavy heart because they all know that another case means another sinner needing to be caught.

Reid was still trying to make the phone call when the rest of the team went in and sat on the chairs surrounding the round table. JJ came in a few seconds later carrying a pile of files and evidence and passed the files around the table while she pinned the evidence on the bulletin board. Gideon stood up after they were settled down.

"Reid, do you mind putting that away?"

"Sorry," Reid said as he fumbled with the phone and looked at the bulletin board.

"Case is a kidnap. The only evidence that was found in the victim's apartment was this letter which has been sent to us by her family a few hours ago. According to the letter, the kidnapper is holding the victim back for ransom. Nothing much is known now but the only thing we know is he's going to kill the victim if he doesn't get what he wants."

Gideon turned away from the bulletin board and grabbed a file from the round table. He pulled out a picture of a young woman in her twenties who has long blond hair and held it up.

"Victim is Elyon Willis, a twenty year old woman and has been reported missing since last night. The police raided her apartment and found the letter, confirming that it is a ransom. The kidnapper's reason, we still do not know and that's why we have to go help their police out."

Spencer Reid was frozen in shock as he saw the picture of the girl, causing his mobile phone to slip through his fingers and gave a loud thud when it hit the ground. The other BAU agents looked at him in curiosity. Reid gave a shudder as he opened the file placed in front of him and looked at the picture closer.

"No, it can't be. What time was she reported missing?" Reid asked in a small voice.

"Around midnight which was after a few hours when she always make her daily calls to her mother. Mrs. Willis got worried and tried calling the cops about it who found the ransom letter when they went to her apartment," Gideon said slowly as Reid turned pale.

"I talked to her last night, she sounded alright. She didn't sound distraught or worried. She was driving back home. Is that why she isn't picking up her phone, is that why..." Reid trailed off. He looked up at Gideon with his brown eyes which was filled with fear and worry. "Do you think she might be dead, Gideon?"

Gideon fell silent. He cleared his throat before began to talk.

"I can't say but I have a feeling that she is still alive. The kidnapper wants something from her so I doubt that he would kill her before getting it."

"Do you know her, Reid?" Elle asked.

Reid bent down to retrieve his fallen mobile phone and nodded weakly when he resumed his seating position.

"How do you exactly know her?" Elle asked once more.

Reid fell silent. He did not want to answer that question- it was too personal. Before the rest of them could ask any more questions, Reid stood up and rushed out of the conference room and went straight to the men's room where he stood in front of the sink. He left the tap running as he washed his face with the cold water, looking back at his reflection.

_Where are you, Elly? Please be safe._

Reid thought to himself before taking a deep breath and stopped the flow of the water from the tap. His thoughts were interrupted by the door being opened by none other than Morgan. He stood next to Reid and placed an arm on his shoulder for a few seconds, trying to comfort him. Reid gave a small smile and looked away.

"Are you okay, kid?"

"Yeah, I will be. Are you guys taking off now?" Reid asked.

"Yeah but you can bail on this one if you want to. Trust me; we can handle a case without you." Morgan replied with a laugh. Reid just looked blankly back at him and shook his head.

"I can't, Morgan. I must find Elyon. I want her to be safe and sound and if I don't... I can't do anything without feeling guilty. I talked to her last night, Morgan. I should have known-"

"No, Reid. You would not have known if a kidnapper was there behind her," Morgan interrupted, "She would not even know that herself. It's not your fault, stop blaming yourself. Now, let's go find her and get her back. Anyway, how do you know her?" Reid remained silent before walking out, leaving Morgan alone.

That was the first time in his whole career; Spencer Reid felt that their personal lives are not respected. He used to think that the other agents were too paranoid or too insecure but now he finally understood. He now knew why Morgan always snapped at him if he asked anything more than what he reveals; he now knew why Gideon doesn't talk much about himself. Because they're personal agendas were not respected enough.

Reid knows that he has to face their questions at a point of time. He can't keep avoiding them. But right now, all he was worried about is Elyon. He wanted to save her. He has to save her.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Gideon pulled over as soon as they reached a small white house in the quiet suburbs. The area seemed to be deserted, with no one in sight and the only sound that could be heard is the chirping of the birds. Gideon, Morgan, Reid and Elle went out of the car and walked towards the door, knocking it loudly. A stout woman with graying blonde hair opened the door a few minutes later; she had eyes which were red and blotchy with dried up tear marks.

"Mrs. Willis? I am Special Agent Gideon and these are my colleagues, Special Agents Elle, Reid and Morgan. We represent the BAU and we were sent to help in regards to your missing daughter," Gideon said as he held up his badge.

She just gave a curt nod and opened the door wider to let them in and then showed the direction of the living room to them. Gideon went into the living room first followed by the two of them. Before Reid could follow them, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Mrs. Willis stopping him.

"I know this might sound rude but are you the Spencer Reid that my Elyon was always talking about? She did mention that you were from the BAU but she did not mention where you were from." Mrs. Willis looked at him. Spencer gave a small smile and muttered a soft yes.

"Its funny how both of you have been dating for more than a year but I have not been able to meet you in person because of your job. Elly said you spend more time in small offices rather than your home, Spencer," she gave a sad chuckle.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it the last time Elyon invited me. I had to go to work the last minute."

"It's okay, honey. It's just cruel to be meeting the man whom my daughter loved so much when she goes missing. You know, I always imagined her holding your hand and introducing you to me right here," Mrs. Willis said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Reid looked at Mrs. Willis in sympathy. He felt a pang of regret as he recalled the number of times he had turned down Elyon's invitations because of his constant job.

"Well, she is going to. She is going to when I find her, Mrs. Willis. I promise," Reid said in a strained voice. She looked at him and smiled, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"I know you will. I also know that you love her so much and I am so glad that my Elly has found someone like you."

Mrs. Willis smiled for the last time and led Reid into the living room which was decorated with plastic potted plants and pictures of Elyon when she was growing up. The three of them were seated on the couch and were obviously waiting for Reid and Mrs. Willis. After both of them were seated, Gideon took out the letter and placed it on the small table.

"Mrs. Willis, did the kidnapper try to contact you by any other means? Like on the phone or by the internet? Anything at all?" Gideon asked.

"None that I remember of. But there was a phone call about half an hour ago. The caller did not speak up but there was something about the call. I could hear him breathing but there was just silence."

"Probably it was the kidnapper," Morgan said looking at Gideon.

"Did he call again?"

Mrs. Willis shook her head. Gideon took the letter from the table and read it repeatedly again. They were confused on why did the kidnapper did not include any specific details on what he wanted, where he wanted it and by when. He just said that he has Elyon Willis under his control and he wanted _something_ before he could release her or else he will kill her.

"Elyon was a decent person. She had the nicest of friends and had a perfect job and she wasn't the kind to mix with these bad companies. What did she do to deserve this? Why is she kidnapped when she did nothing wrong? Why couldn't the kidnapper take me instead of my poor Elly?" Mrs. Willis cried out as she broke down and collapsed on her knees as he threw herself on the floor. Elle rushed towards her and helped her get on her feet, trying to calm her down.

She abruptly stopped when the phone began to ring a few seconds later. Gideon quickly stood up and walked over to the telephone that was placed on the dining table in the next room. His hands trembled slightly as he picked up the receiver. Morgan and Reid came running into the room.

"This is Agent Gideon speaking," Gideon spoke as he put the call on the loudspeaker.

There was only silence.

"This is Special Agent Gideon from the BAU speaking. May I know who this is?"

Instead of silence, a cold laugh could be heard.

"So the BAU has finally arrived. I've been wondering when your team was going to be involved in this kidnap," he said in a slur.

"So you were expecting us?"

"Yes. I was for almost the whole day and I am getting impatient; any longer and I will have to pull the trigger on poor Elyon here. And I know you would not want that, would you, Jason Gideon?" he asked threateningly.

"No, I would not. Tell me, what do you want from this kidnap, money? You know that the Willis' are not that rich so why are you wasting you time with Elyon Willis?"

Another cold laugh could be heard. It sent tingles down their spines, especially Reid. He looked as if he was going to throw up but he did not stop listening.

"Listen, I do not want to talk to you. I want to talk to the person that means the most to Elyon. Then maybe if I am in a good mood, I'll throw in a deal and I'll let Elyon go after I get what I want."

"Alright then, I'm going to get Mrs. Willis on the phone. And when I do, you will at least let her talk to Elyon," Gideon replied after a small pause. The kidnapper was playing a tricky game and he wanted no part of it.

A groan of frustration could he heard. There was a thudding sound and a loud whimper was heard followed by crying. Reid closed his eyes and looked away; he knew it was his Elyon being harmed by the kidnapper.

"Why do you think I waited this long to talk to her, huh? I'm not as stupid as you think and neither are you smarter than me. I demand to talk to him right now, before I pull the trigger of the gun in my hands towards that little bitch, you understand?" he shouted.

Gideon fell silent. He did not know who the kidnapper was referring to as there was no _him_ in Elyon Willis' life. According to her mother, her father had died in a mental institution a few months back. What did this kidnapper want? Who? Why was he waiting for the BAU?

"Mr. Willis passed away a few months back so the only one that is left is Mrs. Willis."

He laughed maniacally.

"You really don't get it, do you? I told you, I waited for the BAU. Figure it out in ten seconds or else I'm going to shoot Elyon. I am serious."

The click of the trigger could be heard. Sweat could be seen dripping from Gideon's forehead. Without hesitation, Reid went up to the phone and took the receiver from Gideon's hands. His hands were shaking and his mind was racing.

"Don't shoot Elly," Reid squeaked.

There was another click.

"Hello, Dr. Spencer Reid. I have been waiting for you."


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Reid's hand turned white as he tightened his grip on the receiver; his knuckles protruding. His whole body was shaking in fear and he was barely breathing. Gideon cleared his throat and nodded to tell Reid that he was there to help him through this but Morgan knew it was better not to interfere; the kid's going to snap.

"What do you want from Elyon? Why are you keeping her like that? I want her back, you hear me; hurt her and you'll be a dead man," Reid shouted sternly.

The sound of mocking laughter echoed throughout the room. Gideon and Morgan exchanged quizzical looks when Reid began to look as if he was losing it. His face was burned red and his eyes began to water, which is something that no one saw before. His innocent brown eyes were consumed with hate and fear as the kidnapper continued talking.

"Spencer, I am already a dead man. Why difference would it make if I hurt her? Reality check, I already did. Well, if you were to be more sensible, I would rather have you ask about you rather than Elyon if you don't mind."

Reid fell silent as he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. He knew he was breaking down, but he would not let himself. If he does, the kidnapper would take it as a ticket to kill Elyon. He must not let him know that he was getting through him, Elyon was too important to him.

"Fine, what do you want from me?"

"Now we're getting on track. I want you to meet me tonight, alone. I don't want any of your other agents following you and I want no tracking devices installed. You will be driving and I will be giving directions by phone, which will be around 9.00 pm."

There was a pause. Gideon shook his head violently, telling Reid to disagree but the stubborn streak in Reid would not let him; instead he opposed to Gideon and continued communicating with the kidnapper.

"I would but I don't trust you. Get Elyon on the phone and I might change my mind, or else I won't do a single thing you ask me to," Reid whispered.

The kidnapper sighed and loud static filled the room for a few moments before heavy gasping could be heard. Sobs followed and the same thudding was heard before the ripping of cloth.

"_Spence? Is that really you?" _a soft female voice called out. Her voice was dry and she was sobbing. Reid opened his mouth but nothing came out. It took him a few seconds before he could even speak.

"Elly? Where are you? Are you okay? Look, I'm going to find you but the first thing I need to know is your location or what does he look like," The words came out of Reid's mouth slowly. His eyes were transfixed and he was breathing heavily.

"_All I see is darkness, Spence. Baby, don't do what he says, he's only going to-" _Elyon screamed and did not manage to finish her sentence. The phone was snatched from her and the laughter resumed.

"You heard from her so tonight, 9.00 pm. I hope you do realize if you fail to be there, I will kill your precious Elyon."

The kidnapper hung up. The phone slipped through Reid's fingers as he stared blankly, more tears rolling on his cheeks. Morgan grabbed his shoulders and led him to the living room, asking him to sit on the couch and calm himself down. Reid did as he was told, without protesting. He looked at Morgan as helplessly, not knowing what to do. Elle and Gideon approached the two of them moments later and crowded around Reid who had his head in his hands and was rocking his body back and forth.

"Reid, I know this sounds hard but I don't want you to meet up the kidnapper tonight. We don't know what he wants from you and I am not going to risk one of my agents' anymore," Gideon said calmly.

"No! I have to, Gideon. He's going to kill her! She's the only one I got left and I am not going to stand around here and wait for the bastard to call me again to tell me that he killed Elyon!" Reid shouted and got up his feet, pushing through Elle and Morgan. He walked to the wall where the pictures were hung and looked at them deeply.

"Reid, you're losing it. You know that that kidnapper's lying. If you want Elyon to live, you'll have to trust us instead of someone who is trying to play you." Elle joined in trying to persuade him.

"I won't take any chances, Elle. What if he was telling the truth? I won't have him killing my girlfriend. I want her to be returned into my arms safely. I want her back. I need her back..." Reid trailed off.

"Elyon did say not to do what this kidnapper said and if she means so much to you, won't you at least respect her wishes? She knows what she's doing. I mean, she is _dating _the smartest kid in the BAU," Morgan said, smiling.

Reid gave a weak smile and looked away. He was tracing the glass frames of the pictures when Gideon walked next to him and forced him to look into his eyes.

"You're breaking down Reid. You know better not to let emotions in things like this; it would only make the kidnapper feel more powerful. I know she means much to you but if you really want to help her right now, the only thing you can do is go sit down and take a quick nap. Elle is going to stay with you while Morgan and I are going to get the others here and then we'll figure out what to do."

Reid kept muttering apologies as Gideon led him to the couch and sat him down. He took no more than a couple blinks of an eye before lying down and drifted away into a deep sleep. His once lively face now looked pale and tired after much shouting and crying. It was as if he has aged a hundred years older.

It was a side of his that none of them had seen before; the emotional Reid. The Spencer Reid they knew never ever did break down and never cries. He never talks about the people he loved, not even his mother. But the emotional Reid does; he puts them first before himself.

Gideon and Morgan took a last look at Reid to make sure he was okay before walking out the house. They knew they have to find her or else the Reid they knew would not come back to them.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Spencer Reid's shoes squeaked as he walked on the polished floor of the mental institute on an early Monday morning. He has taken a few days off just to visit his mother on her birthday and he does it every year without fail. He would always bring a book or two to read to her and a small cupcake with a chocolate icing to share with her. He walked briskly through the hallway and stopped only when he approached the room that his mother was in.

His mother smiled widely as she saw her son walking into her room; he still looked the same with his hair tucked behind his ears and with the skinny-tall figure that he possesses. She placed a wrinkled hand on his cheek as soon as he sat on the chair beside her and her eyes started to water in happiness. It has been a year since she last seen him. The letters he sent everyday could not make her as happy as seeing her son in front of her. Spencer lighted up the candle and gave a plastic spoon to his mother so that she could eat the cupcake while he reads to her one of her favorite books. Once, his mother had read to him and now it was his turn.

After reading a few chapters of the book, his mother closed her eyes and fell asleep. It was typical for her- she was always feeling tired and she had no interest in doing anything else but resting. In boredom, Reid stood up and walked out of the room for a cup of coffee.

The vending machine made funny noises as it was processes in making the coffee. Reid counted the number of blinks the machine was producing before his coffee was ready; which was after ten blinks. He bent down to retrieve the coffee and had stood up too fast, causing him to bump into the person behind him and spilling the coffee on her white blouse. She gave a surprised gasped and looked down at her ruined blouse.

"Oh god, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to," Spencer muttered as he grabbed a packet of tissue from his messenger bag and handed a few pieces to the blonde woman. He was expecting her to be extremely mad but instead, she laughed.

"Hey, it's okay. Accidents happen and I was planning to get rid of this blouse anyway. But you do owe me coffee," She teased as she took the tissue from him and began wiping away the stain.

"You know, why don't we go to the Starbucks nearby and I could buy you real coffee?" Reid asked as he looked into his emptied coffee cup.

She shrugged and followed Reid towards the direction of the elevators. They went into one and pressed the button that would bring them to the ground floor. Reid looked at the woman guiltily.

"Look, don't worry about this, it's just a blouse. Anyway, I'm Elyon Willis," she said as she extended out her hand.

"Spencer Reid," he replied in a small voice as he shook her hand.

They smiled at each other. Little did they know that they had just met the person that would make their life complete; in both love and friendship. Spencer and Elyon sat at the table in Starbucks for hours, talking about their lives and what they were going through. They laughed at each other jokes and did not notice the time passing by. They exchanged numbers and met up subsequently throughout the months they spent calling each other and just talking. Their relationship grew a little deeper with just one kiss on a rainy Friday night and they have been dating ever since. No one knew about them and they were happy.

That was how Reid found his happiness a more than a year ago. And he was going to lose it if he does not do something to save Elyon.

Reid woke up in a startle and sat up immediately. He looked around the living room to see no one there. His heart was racing and his face was covered with sweat. He glanced at the clock which was hung above the fireplace to see that he had slept for more than a few hours. _Half an hour more until it was 9.00 pm. _He had a dream, not exactly a happy one but not exactly a nightmare. He stood up and walked into the dining room which was lighted up.

The whole BAU team was standing around the table where another special telephone was set up. Amongst them was Mrs. Willis who looked a lot better after she also had taken a nap. She smiled and patted Reid's shoulder as he approached Gideon who was sitting down on a chair and was waiting by the phone.

"Rise and shine, loverboy. You've been knocked out for a couple of hours so I hope you're back to your own self," Morgan teased as he set sights on Reid.

"I'm sorry for breaking down like that just now, I promise I won't do it again," Reid said sleepily.

"It's crazy for you to not break down in this situation, you just had to," Gideon said reassuringly.

"Did the kidnapper call again?"

"That's what we are waiting for, Reid."

"Does that mean that I can go and meet him?"

"No, Reid. I told you it's too risky," Gideon answered him as if he was a five-year old kid. Reid groaned in frustration and started pacing around in circles.

"Gideon, I have to. Please," Reid begged.

Gideon just sat down, ignoring Reid. The room was silent and the ticking of Gideon's wrist watch could be heard as he continued looking at it, watching the minutes pass by. They have only five minutes to the call but yet, they still have not figured out something. The kidnapper was too complicated to be profiled.

The phone began to ring. Gideon waited for a few short seconds before answering the call and putting it on the loudspeaker. The same cold laughter could be heard but this time he sounded more contented.

"My guess is that Dr. Reid is in the car right now? It is 9.00 pm now if you did not realize."

"No, Dr. Reid is still right here beside me," Gideon said sternly. Reid tried to grab the phone from him but his hand was frozen stiff on the receiver. Hotchner stepped up and tried to restrain Reid but he was too stubborn.

"So this would be a death sentence for Elyon then," the kidnapper chuckled evilly.

There was a click of the trigger and then silence. Loud thumps could be heard and then a shout. They could hear a woman begging and screaming for the kidnapper to stop. Gideon sat there, stunned. Seeing this as a chance, Reid tried to grab the phone from his hands and demanded for the kidnapper to stop.

"Don't shoot her! I'm on my way into the car right now and I'll be expecting a call on my mobile phone for directions," Reid said and hung up. He ran towards the front door, grabbing the keys to Mrs. Willis' car and went out, slamming the door as he did. The other agents wanted to run after him but were stopped by the firm voice of Gideon.

"Let him go. He knows what he's doing."

"But Gideon, he could get himself killed out there. He doesn't know what the kidnapper wants from him and he is unarmed," Hotchner said, filled with worry.

"Do not underestimate Reid. He is more capable than we think he is."

"But Gideon, he's in danger," Morgan groaned in frustration.

"No, he isn't," Gideon answered once more in a calm manner.

"Why are you doing this, Gideon?" Elle asked nervously.

Gideon looked up at them and smiled.

"He's doing this for the woman he loves. He'll know what to do to keep both of them alive from the kidnapper.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

After driving aimlessly for fifteen minutes, Reid finally arrived at a deserted parking lot and pulled over. The kidnapper had just hung up and all he can do now is stay on-guard and wait him, alone in the dark. The past hours of his life have been the most confusing time in his life- one of the biggest part of it was on the edge of death and he broke down in front of other people. His colleagues, to be exact.

What if Elle was right? Instead of coming here to meet him, the kidnapper just led him here so that he would be out of the way when he pulled the trigger onto Elyon. The thought of her sitting in a dark room motionless and choking on her own blood scares the hell out of Reid. Suddenly, he felt a presence of someone else in the parking lot and a solid object was held to the back of his head. Instead of feeling scared, Reid remained calm but could not stop himself from shivering.

"Hello there, Reid. We finally have a chance to meet up personally without any company."

"What do you want from me?" Reid asked coldly.

"Why the rush, Reid? We have plenty of time to stand here and talk, don't worry. Elyon is fine at this point of time."

"I don't care about the time, all I want is Elyon back," Reid growled as he began to lose his patience.

"You sure you don't want any details before we proceed further? I would not want you to regret your decision later," he chuckled evilly.

Reid turned around to face him with his fists clenched but before he could make the first move, the kidnapper swung the solid object and a crunching sound could be heard as it hit Reid's jaw. He passed out because of the impact and his motionless body was dragged to the kidnapper's truck. He slammed the doors and sped off from the vacant lots. Though unconscious, Reid somehow felt uncomfortable in the tight space of the back seat and the bumpiness of the road.

After what it felt like forever, the truck finally pulled over and by then Reid was half conscious. The kidnapper opened the door and he felt his arms on his own shoulders, pulling his body from the truck to an abandoned house which has a structure that did not look safe and almost all of the floorboards were already rotten. The kidnapper dumped his body at the corner of a room which used to be the living room and he felt his hands and legs being tied. After tightening the knots of the rope, he stood up and walked out of the room.

Heavy footsteps walking further into the house could be heard.

A door creaked open.

The heavy footsteps could be heard once more, dragging something this time. And that _something_ is crying.

Reid stopped breathing when the kidnapper emerged into the room with Elyon being pulled from the floor. It was really her, only she looked more haggard with bruises all over and cuts inflicted from the rope that was tied on her. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. The state she was in was a huge contrast to the Elyon he knew. Reid tried to get closer to her but his tied up legs limited his movement.

"Elyon!" Reid shouted as the kidnapper lifted her up and threw her next to him.

"Spencer, you shouldn't be here. I told you not to listen to what he says," Elyon said softly.

"I had to. I couldn't let him just kill you because I did not do what he asked me to do," Reid said desperately. Elyon just gave a weak smile and rested her head on Spencer's neck as she shook her head.

"You didn't really get it, did you Spence?"

They were forced to stop when the kidnapper shot the gun in the direction of the roof. His masked face seemed face was livid and he seemed to be breathing heavily. Without hesitation, he reached out for Elyon and pulled her away from Reid to the opposite side of the room.

The kidnapper then approached Reid with his gun pointed to his forehead; one shot and it was the end of all of this. He squatted down and placed a hand onto Reid's cheek, caressing it before slapping it hard. Elyon cried out for his to stop as the kidnapper started to punch Reid a couple of times before kicking his stomach and standing up, leaving Reid coughing. He groaned in frustration and threw the gun onto the floor. Instead of picking the gun up, he sat down beside Elyon and placed her head onto his lap, stroking her hair.

"Why did you choose that person over me, Elly? It hurts me to see my baby girl ending up with someone who is not going to make you happy," he said in a less aggressive voice. Elyon tried squirming out of his lap but he would not let her.

"Who the fuck are you? Let me go, you sick bastard," Elyon spat as she tried to get out of his grip with more strength. Still he did not succeed.

"Darling, stop moving. You still have not answered my question, why choose that person? He had committed more wrongdoings than me yet you are with him. He left his mother in the institute just because he was sick of taking care of her. Who knows if he is going to get sick of taking care of you? But you know I won't," the kidnapper tried soothing Elyon.

"She needed help. I could not help her," Reid groaned in pain before managing to sit up. He glared at the kidnapper before his eyes fell on the shiny surface of the gun that he had thrown on the floor earlier.

"Think about it. He would not be there for you; since he has to be at his job almost his whole life. Sooner or later, he would find someone better than you from the office or even his BAU team and dump you."

Elyon just lay there motionlessly. She didn't know what to do; she didn't know what to say. She knew what the kidnapper was saying was a bunch of lies but it affected her. She wasn't going to deny that she had thought of the same things during her moments of doubts or when they were having a little tiff. She had seen a picture of Spencer's team once and there were prettier girls than her in it. She knew that the kidnapper was trying to manipulate her but she felt too tired to fight back.

"You know I won't Elyon. I love you more than anything in my life and I won't throw you away just like that," Reid begged.

"Do you want me to go further, baby?" Elyon shook her head and closed her eyes. The kidnapper tried shushing her down and tucked her hair behind her ear.

There was silence in the air as Reid continued begging and Elyon just looking at him and shaking her head. Tears filled her eyes as she open her mouth to say something that does not seem to be coming out. She knew that she has to do something; and the only thing that came into her mind was to play along. In order for her plan to work all depends on Reid.

"I cannot trust you anymore, Spence. I mean, whatever he said seemed so true. And you're always with that JJ girl or something whenever you call me from work and that proves what he said."

"We had talked about this, we had worked things out. We made plans, remember? Please Elyon, don't do this to me," Reid continued to beg.

There was a long pause before Elyon was able to say what she had wanted to say earlier.

"Damn it Spencer… Why don't you just take a gun and shoot yourself?" she shouted between her sobs.

The kidnapper gave another long chuckle.

"You're going on the right path, baby. I'm going to take good care of you," He said as he kissed Elyon's earlobe.

Spencer froze. He felt as if he had just been pushed into a bottomless pit and was falling further in. How could Elyon be so gullible towards the kidnapper and listened to him instead of Spencer, the person she loves? How could she say that? He kept asking himself questions that he knew there were no answers to as she continued seeing the kidnapper making a move on his girlfriend. That was when he set his sights on the gun.

Emotions ran high; leaving it hard for Spencer to tell the difference between the truth and a plain old lie.

Maybe she was right, he should shoot himself. Besides, there was nothing worth living for anymore; he has a stressful job, he is expected to be a whack job when he grows older, his mother was barely living like an ordinary person and Elyon is gone.

_I won't regret doing this, my Elly._


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Elyon prayed silently that Spencer understood her. She hated herself in that moment of time for saying all the cruel things that she was forced to say to him. It was the only way that they could get out of there alive. Reid sat there in silence, fixing his eyes on the gun. What he was going to do next was unpredictable; depending if he had read between the lines.

Trying to buy them more time, Elyon started returning the kisses of the kidnapper. He moaned and went deeper. Elyon tried hard not to squirm in disgust and kept her eyes on Reid who was trying to obtain the gun. He crawled forward and managed to get a hold of the gun in his hands, not knowing what to do. The kidnapper was too busy making out with Elyon that he did not notice his gun was in Reid's possession. Reid took a last look at Elyon and pointed the gun to himself. Elyon looked at him with panic spreading throughout her body. It was too late to take back what she said now.

_God, Reid, what are you doing?_

Meanwhile, the BAU team was standing around the table in the dining room waiting for a call from the kidnapper. It has been awhile since they last heard from Reid and they were getting worried. His mobile phone was turned off and there was no way that they could track down Mrs. Willis' car. Gideon had been sitting on the same chair, thinking if it was a mistake to let Reid go. If anything happened to him, he knew he could not forgive himself especially after risking the late agents who died in the bomb.

"I know we're supposed to wait but this is not going anywhere. I'm getting out of this house and I'm going to search for Reid," Morgan said in frustration as he headed to the front door.

"Do you think he is okay, Gideon?"

"Honestly? I don't know, Elle. But I hope he is," Gideon answered in a small voice as he rested his head into his hands.

"Can the call from the kidnapper be traced?" Hotchner asked.

"I doubt it; people like them are smart enough to know that their calls could be traced. Most probably he used a public phone or some form of untraceable phone. I just hope that Morgan would find the car Reid was on. At least we'll have a lead."

The team fell silent. They could not say anything without getting worried or blaming themselves. Instead, they thought of their own loved ones and how little time have been spent on them. What if a kidnapper took them away? Would they regret like Reid did? They snapped out of their own personal thoughts by Gideon's ringing mobile phone.

"Gideon, I have just found Mrs. Willis' car at this empty parking lot. There is nobody here and there is no trace of Reid anywhere."

"Do you think that he has been kidnapped too?" Gideon asked.

"All I know is Reid might have been what the kidnapper wanted all along."

"Thanks, Morgan."

Gideon hung up the call and looked at the rest of the team. All of them had anxiousness written on their faces and Gideon knew that it was going to be hard to break the news to them. Reid was missing and it was his responsibility to keep him safe. He had failed to do so and now he was going to bear the consequences.

"Morgan just called. He found the car but Reid has gone missing."

The silence grew tenser.

"Gideon, you should know that it isn't your fault that Reid's missing. He just would not listen to you," Elle tried reassuring Gideon. He smiled and looked away. He knew it was going to be a long night as there would be no resting until Spencer Reid is found with Elyon Willis, still breathing.

Back at the house, Reid still had the gun to his head. His fingers found it hard to pull the trigger and tears started falling onto his cheeks. Part of him wanted to drop the gun but he was reluctant to do so whenever he saw Elyon making out with the kidnapper. He still could not get it why she turned her back on him after risking his life for him. She chose the kidnapper over him.

That was when he realized what the kidnapper had wanted him for. He wanted him to be in the presence of Elyon so that he could toy with her mind. His plan worked. Love isn't the most powerful thing after all.

_Why don't you just take a gun and shoot yourself?_

Elyon's words echoed in his mind. He knew he was making a mistake. He should not be shooting himself. He should be shooting the kidnapper instead. Reid wasted no time and changed the direction of the gun to be pointing to the kidnapper.

"Elyon, get down!" Reid shouted as he fired the gun.

It all happened so quickly. Elyon began crying again and the kidnapper lay on the floor motionless without a heartbeat. His eyes were opened and blood was rushing out from the wound. Reid tugged harder at the rope tied to his hands and he managed to break free. He then untied the one on his feet and rushed over to Elyon to untie hers. As soon she was able to move again, she immediately wrapped her arms around Reid and cried into his chest.

"I knew you would understand what I was saying. I was so scared that you would really kill yourself, I didn't mean it," Elyon said as she cried harder. Reid hugged her more tightly and placed his forehead onto hers.

"I'm sorry, baby. I really thought that you meant it, then I realized what the kidnapper was doing and I refused to leave you in his hands."

"Thank God you figured it out at the right time. You know I can't forgive myself if you really did kill yourself because of me."

"I guess I mixed my emotions into the case without even realizing it. I mean he was about to kill you and I just could not think straight. I've been thinking about if he was lying or what did he want when he asked for me to meet up with him. Chances are that it was a trap-"

"Spence, you talk too much," Elyon interrupted him and kissed him on the lips. They managed to get out of it alive by their love for one another. Spencer Reid was reunited with his only love and things could not get any better than that.


End file.
